Police had to subdue swearing alcoholic (From Evesham Journal)

Police had to subdue swearing alcoholic

2:10pm Sunday 15th July 2012 in News

A CHRONIC alcoholic with mental health problems threatened to harm himself while police shot him three times with a Taser to try and subdue him.

Worcester magistrates were told that members of Sean Poole’s family called the police on Wednesday, June 13, to the family home at Martin Avenue, Evesham, because he had been threatening self-harm.

When the officers arrived, they found Poole in the living room. He was drunk and he began to swear and shout at the officers. He ran to the kitchen and barricaded himself in, and while police tried to open the door, a struggle developed which included Poole’s brother Darren.

Sarah Stock, prosecuting, said: “Sean Poole shouted at police, ‘Touch my brother and I’ll harm myself’.”

When the police kicked down the door, Sean Poole held a knife to his own throat, which was bleeding from a gash. He was repeatedly asked to drop the knife, but had to be hit with a Taser three times before he did so.

Poole admitted one charge of affray and one of criminal damage, which referred to a £540 police radio damaged in the struggle.

Angela Woolnough, for Poole, said he was “a chronic alcoholic with serious mental health issues including depression and paranoia”.

“He is a desperate individual who cannot cope with life. He is on medication that he only intermittently takes,” she said, adding than in the last few days he had to be admitted to hospital following a drug overdose.

He was due to be sentenced yesterday.

The court was told Poole’s brother Darren had been due to appear on charges of assaulting and obstructing police officers, arising from the same incident.

However, he was drunk and did not attend court, despite his brother trying to persuade him to attend.

A warrant was issued for his arrest.